American Values and Identity

1. Who are you? What is your story?
How does your values and
identity become part of being an
American?

2. ●I. Who are you?
◦ A. Vocab
◦ 1. lens: the way a person sees and experiences the
world; people, places, groups and situations
◦ 2. bias: slanted view with pre-judged ideas about
peoples, places, groups and situations
◦ 3. identity: who you are based on your values,
experiences and beliefs
◦ 4. values: defining what is important to you;
providing moral or ethical structure to your life; a
person’s principles and beliefs

3. Self and Group Identity
●I. Who are you?
◦ A. Vocab continued
◦ 5. culture: a person’s way of living and experiencing
the world. A person’s values, languages, music,
dance, traditions, clothing based on family, religion,
media and experiences
◦ 6. ethnicity: a person’s place of original ancestry
and bloodline, can define language, religion, race

4. Word Map Time….study
skill work
How do I practice these new terms and
apply them to myself and to history?

5. How to make a ‘GOOD’ notecard
Basic Definition: Add
Meaning of word with full
Detail here.
Draw: Using visuals, create for
the term.
Write an example or
two of the term here to
fully demonstrate knowledge
of term
Vocab Connections: Find two
other vocabulary words that
have a relationship. Explain
relationship.

6. American Identity, Culture
and Values
Can you identify any connection to these pictures?

7. Do you think that
kneeling during the
national anthem shows
‘disrespect’ to the flag?
Does your lens, identity, and values play a role
in your point of view on this matter?

8. Or are the players who
have joined the protest
trying to raise
awareness of police
brutality and racial
injustice in America?
Agree or Disagree?

9. If you were in the NFL
right now, what would
you do? Why?
Agree or Disagree?

10. Why does the
Constitution matter in
this debate? What
about symbols of
America?
Does your lens, identity, and values play a role in your
point of view on this matter?

11. American Values:the core values that were
established at the beginning of our country; these values were
solidified in key documents at the birth of our nation

12. American Values:the core values
that were established at the beginning of our country;
these values were solidified in key documents at the birth
of our nation
Equality: to be treated the same or equally in rights,
access, and everyday actions
Freedom:the right to choose, act, move freely, to make
your own decisons and actions without others interfering
Justice: the ability to be treated and seen fairly under
the law or by representatives

13. American Identity
What is an American? What
values are finding we have in
common? Are different?
How do these values shape us? Do other
cultures agree with us?
(Student led activity with packet… )

14. In the year 2050, how do we
continue to strive towards our
American values and identity?

15. Should Americans melt into one
shared identity?
● Assimilate: the minority culture gives up or is forced to
become like the dominant culture. There is a loss of
culture of the minority group.

16. Or can Americans share
ethnicity and become part of
American identity?
● Acculturate: one the minority group (less in number or
power) share, exchange and celebrate its culture with
the dominant culture. There is not loss of either
culture.

17. What’s in a Name
Project?
How does my values, culture,
identity, and ethnicity tell my story
as an American?

18. Asking Pertinent Questions
Asking Pertinent Questions:
How does your identity (name) influence your story?
How do my identity and values shape me?
Why does my identity matter?
Interviewer Skills: Your job is to create questions that will dig deeper into your family history and story. Use what you
have learned in 5th grade about “lower-order” and “higher-order” questions to make up 7 questions. At least 4
questions must be higher order. Remember that higher order questions really draw out more information that is
interesting and explains deeper meaning.
Lower-Order Prompts Higher-Order Prompts
What. . . ? Why do you think. . . ?
Where. . . ? What would you do if. . . ?
Who. . . ? Because we are from. . . ?
What is important and why. . . ?
If you. . . ?

19. ARES: Creating an
Argument
It is one thing to have an opinion, (I do not like spinach) but it
is another thing to argue a point.(St. Luke’s girl’s sports
teams are treat differently…. Because….. For example and this
is important because…..)

20. A R E S
It is a crucial skill in speaking, writing and sharing to support your assertions to
present a logical argument. Here are the key parts…..
A- Assertion (argument/topic
statement)
R- Reasoning (because…….)
E- Evidence (For example……)
S- Significance ( This is
important to the argument…..concluding)

21. Where do our American beliefs,
values and identity come from?
On to unit TWO………..

22. American Identity: Our Founding
Documents
What document is
being signed?
Who is in the picture?
Any people you
recognize? What
socio-economic
groups are
represented?
To whom did this
document apply in
1776? Who could
vote?
Why did Thomas
Jefferson use the
phrase, “All men are
created equal?” What
value is implied?
Effected our history
as a country?

23. American Identity
● I. American Values- Why is the Declaration of Independence
important to us as Americans? p. 173-175
⚫A. Vocab
*** Common Sense: 1776, British did not have right make laws,
◦ Thomas Paine wrote a fiery pamphlet to make the case they should break
away Britain
1) Declaration of Independence: a document (broadside) to state 13 colonies
were free and independent, all of the king’s wrongdoings,
2.) unalienable rights: rights that belong to all people from birth, cannot be
taken away (natural rights)
B. Date: July 4th, 1776 (July 18th, 1776 field trip)
C. Place: Philadelphia

24. American Identity
● I. American Values- Why is the Declaration of Independence important to us as Americans? p.
D. People
1.) Thomas Jefferson- one of the youngest delegates (33) to write the document with all
of its ideas, eloquent writer
2. ) John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman from CT (5 guys
assigned to create ideas for document to break away)
3.) Founding Fathers- the 55 delegates chosen from the colonies to represent our new
country
E. Reasons for document with values
1.) break away from KING to make a new govt.
2.) establish new ideas of the country

25. American Identity
● I. American Values- Why is the Declaration of Independence
important to us as Americans? P.
****Summary: Big Picture of the Value
1. equality: all people are equal in rights, access and actions
“all men are created equal’
2. Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness:
right to live,
be free from Britain,
be happy to go after job, education, family, etc.. (unalienable rights- cannot
be taken away, birth)
3. freedom: right to choose to move, act, be yourself, have a voice
4. justice: ability to be treated fairly, equally under the eyes of the law or
representatives (king was unjust to the people)

26. Declaration of Independence =
American Revolution WHY????

27. This painting symbolizes what?

28. Famous painting demonstrates?

29. Old State House, Boston MA
Reading of the Declaration of Independence

30. Digging Deeper……..
What impact did the Declaration of Independence have
on the ideas of the Constitution and Bill of Rights?
(these documents designed how our government works and what
actual rights we have)
BTW: Sept. 19th was Constitution Day!!!!